The Ascent to the Summit
Oct. 8th, 2013 08:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
khiemtranIt's 2 am in our mountain hut, and time for a quick breakfast...
All rugged up and ready for the next stage in our journey - the climb to the summit at 4095 metres. We're leaving this early to give us a chance of reaching the peak in time to see the sunrise - and then to get down before the weather closes in. None of us have got much sleep in our little cabin.
The first stage is pretty much the same as where we left off yesterday - steps, steps and more steps. Only this time, it's in the dark.
At last, we reach the next stage, cheerfully called "The Danger Zone" (or, as our hosts in the hut preferred to call it "The Safety Zone". A white rope extends down our of the darkness from the wall of rock in front of us.
It's not actually that steep, but in the thin air, even a few metres in elevation are enough to make us run out of breath. And in the darkness, it's both hard to keep your balance and to tell just what's around you.
Slip in the wind or let go of the rope, and who knows where you might end up? (Actually, when we came down in daylight, we were amazed at how innocuous this part of the trail looked. Going up, it felt like there were sheer drops all around us.)
This video gives a good idea of what it was like. The figure in white is Hsiu Lin struggling up the side of the mountain. Towards the end, you can see Maikin, our wonderful guide, strolling casually past with his hands in his pockets to offer words of encouragement.
As the sky gradually brightens, strange forms start to loom beside us.
We've missed the sunrise already, but the skies were too overcast for it to have been much of a show. On the other hand, as we head higher and higher, we are in for a visual treat.
Here, we're nearly four kilometres above sea level. Just a few hundred metres to go.
The clouds play tricks on us. What lies inside this smouldering crater? Mount Kinabalu is not actually volcanic, but it can sure look that way at times.
How to walk up a mountain... In the foreground, you can see Maikin shuffling up in a a slow, splay-footed gait. One foot swings out at an angle; the other foot comes in beside it, then swings out the other way. All the while, he leans forward to keep his centre of gravity over his feet. We quickly find this is actually the perfect gait for going up a slope slow enough that you won't run out of breath. If you try to take normal steps, it's actually quite hard to go slowly enough while walking efficiently. Plus, the rhythmic action gives the not-disagreeable feeling that you're bopping up the mountain. In front of Maikin, you can see Hsiu Lin's sister, Hsiu Pin, who has already learned to imitate Maikin's walking style.
Kilometre Eight! Nearly there...
That's the summit off in the distance.
Just remember to stay close to the rope!
The clouds are really starting to close in now.
The route gets steeper as we reach the final pinnacle. No bopping now.
Nearly there!
Made it! Here you can see myself, Hsiu Pin, her husband Shawn, and Hsiu Lin, at 4095 metres. You may notice I'm also wearing my Adventure Hat under my hood. That's because I accidentally left my beanie back in Kuala Lumpur. At least I'm not going to get sunburnt.
Next up: just a little matter of getting home again. Not to worry, it's (mostly) all downhill from here...
On to Part Three...
All rugged up and ready for the next stage in our journey - the climb to the summit at 4095 metres. We're leaving this early to give us a chance of reaching the peak in time to see the sunrise - and then to get down before the weather closes in. None of us have got much sleep in our little cabin.
The first stage is pretty much the same as where we left off yesterday - steps, steps and more steps. Only this time, it's in the dark.
At last, we reach the next stage, cheerfully called "The Danger Zone" (or, as our hosts in the hut preferred to call it "The Safety Zone". A white rope extends down our of the darkness from the wall of rock in front of us.
It's not actually that steep, but in the thin air, even a few metres in elevation are enough to make us run out of breath. And in the darkness, it's both hard to keep your balance and to tell just what's around you.
Slip in the wind or let go of the rope, and who knows where you might end up? (Actually, when we came down in daylight, we were amazed at how innocuous this part of the trail looked. Going up, it felt like there were sheer drops all around us.)
This video gives a good idea of what it was like. The figure in white is Hsiu Lin struggling up the side of the mountain. Towards the end, you can see Maikin, our wonderful guide, strolling casually past with his hands in his pockets to offer words of encouragement.
As the sky gradually brightens, strange forms start to loom beside us.
We've missed the sunrise already, but the skies were too overcast for it to have been much of a show. On the other hand, as we head higher and higher, we are in for a visual treat.
Here, we're nearly four kilometres above sea level. Just a few hundred metres to go.
The clouds play tricks on us. What lies inside this smouldering crater? Mount Kinabalu is not actually volcanic, but it can sure look that way at times.
How to walk up a mountain... In the foreground, you can see Maikin shuffling up in a a slow, splay-footed gait. One foot swings out at an angle; the other foot comes in beside it, then swings out the other way. All the while, he leans forward to keep his centre of gravity over his feet. We quickly find this is actually the perfect gait for going up a slope slow enough that you won't run out of breath. If you try to take normal steps, it's actually quite hard to go slowly enough while walking efficiently. Plus, the rhythmic action gives the not-disagreeable feeling that you're bopping up the mountain. In front of Maikin, you can see Hsiu Lin's sister, Hsiu Pin, who has already learned to imitate Maikin's walking style.
Kilometre Eight! Nearly there...
That's the summit off in the distance.
Just remember to stay close to the rope!
The clouds are really starting to close in now.
The route gets steeper as we reach the final pinnacle. No bopping now.
Nearly there!
Made it! Here you can see myself, Hsiu Pin, her husband Shawn, and Hsiu Lin, at 4095 metres. You may notice I'm also wearing my Adventure Hat under my hood. That's because I accidentally left my beanie back in Kuala Lumpur. At least I'm not going to get sunburnt.
Next up: just a little matter of getting home again. Not to worry, it's (mostly) all downhill from here...
On to Part Three...
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no subject
Date: 2013-10-08 09:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-10-08 09:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-10-08 01:15 pm (UTC)I'm curious-did anyone use hiking/trekking poles, at all?
no subject
Date: 2013-10-08 07:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-10-09 12:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-10-08 05:44 pm (UTC)I don't think I've seen such a bleak/beautiful landscape...
no subject
Date: 2013-10-08 07:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-10-09 03:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-10-09 08:42 am (UTC)